NEWARK, N.J. – A registered sex offender who was formerly employed at a law office in Paterson, N.J., admitted today to distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Kevin Rease, 33, of Hackettstown, N.J., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh in Newark federal court to Count One of an indictment charging him with distributing images of child pornography.

According to documents filed in the case and statements in court:

Rease admitted that on Feb. 12, 2013, he made images and videos of child sexual abuse stored on his work computer available for others to download via an online peer-to-peer file sharing network. On that date, an undercover law enforcement agent successfully downloaded videos of child sexual abuse from Rease through the file sharing network.

Rease has a prior federal conviction for transportation of child pornography as well as prior state convictions for luring, sexual assault by sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child.

As a previously convicted sex offender, the distribution of child pornography count to which Rease pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is currently scheduled for April 28, 2014.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.